Here's how a proposed Aldi became controversial in Union

UNION, Ky. — An upscale experience or convenience? Broken promises or exactly what was presented? In the city of Union, residents are asking those questions about a proposed Aldi grocery store that could be built as part of a massive mixed-use development called the Union Promenade.

More than 80 people attended a public hearing Thursday night to let city commissioners know where they stand on the proposal – and they did not hold back during the standing-room-only hearing.

The city commission, which includes Mayor Larry Solomon as a voting member, will decide Feb. 5 on whether to allow a change in the approved concept development plan that would permit the grocery store to be built. It's scheduled to start at 6 p.m. at the Union city building located at 1843 Mt. Zion Road.

Here's what you need to know about the project, which was pitched to commissioners and residents as an upscale, walkable development, not a run-of-the-mill shopping center.

What is the Union Promenade?

The grocery store would be part of the Union Promenade, a 62-acre mixed-use development along U.S. 42 and Old Union Road.

So far, the promenade includes plans for 44 homes with an estimated starting sale price of almost $400,000, 300 apartments, office buildings, a brewery, spa, bank, cigar bar, national restaurant chains and more.

The Cincinnati-based Meierjohan Building Group and the TJ Ackermann Company, of Cheviot, Ohio, are developing the site.

If the commission approves the concept development plan, Aldi would sit on 2 1/5 acres of the development.

Why are some residents opposed to the Aldi?

The opposition is rooted in a feeling that residents and city commissioners were misled about the project, which was pitched to them as a high-end, walkable experience when it was approved in 2021.

Angie Kessel, 46, of Union, lives near the development. She suspected things were going awry when a United Dairy Farms gas station was built as part of the development. She wanted to move out of the neighborhood then because it didn't seem like the development was turning out as promised. But her husband talked her out of it.

"Imagine how great this opportunity is to go out and just get some drinks in the evening and be able to just walk back home," he told her, asking her to give the project a chance.

Since then, she and others have heard rumors that fast-food restaurants and other commonly found businesses are being planned for the site.

"... All of the stuff that you're bringing in here … is just a repeat of stuff 5, 10, 15 minutes down the road. Why?" she asked.

Why do other residents support the Aldi?

The reasons vary. Some don't mind the change. Others would appreciate the convenience of an Aldi. And others just like the grocery store's low prices.

Noreen Morgan, president of the Villas of Fowler's Creek homeowners association, said there are 78 owners and spouses in the neighborhood. In a petition, 50 of them were unopposed to the Aldi. 12 were opposed.

"Union is growing fast, traffic is not the best," she said. "Apartments and condos are going into the Union Promenade. So my question is where are these people going to shop?"

Gerald Merk, 67, of Union, walked to the public hearing from his home and is looking forward to being able to walk to the Aldi for his daily grocery needs.

"I realize that it's not exactly in line with what was proposed, but through 40-something years of industrial experience, I also realize that we make plans and then we have to deal with the real world," he said.

What does the developer have to say?

T.J. Ackerman said during the meeting that developers are asking the city to approve one tenant to build a roughly 19,000-square-foot building on two lots.

Aldi, he said, is a retail establishment which is what was promised to city commissioners.

"Adding an Aldi grocery store will expand exposure to the project, provide strong financial stability for the development, and encourage other retailers to come in, because of that exposure. That is a huge plus, and an asset to the overall development," Ackerman told The Enquirer.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Aldi at the Union Promenade